Prospect Info: 2017 NHL Entry Draft | June 23-24, 2017

[Five Alarm Fire]

So with the Drouin trade for Sergachev D has to be out unless someone falls, Liljegren possibly. Wing wise we have Joseph, Stephens and Yan coming up next year with Katchouk and Raddysh not far behind, so it's a solid crop but no standout just yet, need to see more from Raddysh before I call him a top line winger. Down the middle it's Cirelli and Howden, good players again no homerun. Best case scenario Pettersson, Necas or Tippett fall, unlikely though. More likely it's a choice between Suzuki or Andersson, I just can't see us passing on the CHL player for a Swede. Suzuki has Point like build and game, better goal scorer than Point not as good playmaker. With how well Point hit, think Suzuki could too and be a top 6 contributor in two years as well and allows us to move on from Johnson if Point hasn't already done that.

I think we're in a good position to go BPA, regardless of position. I agree that another center would help. There will be a good player laying around if the mocks/projections are correct.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Serious question, what are we considering a "top line forward" or "top line winger"? What are we realistically expecting?

 

[The Macho King]

Serious question, what are we considering a "top line forward" or "top line winger"? What are we realistically expecting?

This. I would much rather trade the pick now that we have some wiggle room especially. If someone like Valimaki is there at 14, someone will bite.

 

[Byrddog]

A player that can score goals

This has befuddled me for two years now. There are 8 players that will have 20 goals that are on the roster now the secondary scoring could be better for sure but there is hope there. Of course the team should take the BPA but if there is another defensman in the range that would be ideal. From this draft spot especially in a mehhhhhh draft year you can expect it to take 4 years to get one ready. And this is the area that the team will need the depth yeah the Druion trade helped but there are 3 guys on the blueline that will be ending there usefullness within the 4 year development of there replacement. It was a nice thing to be able to move Druion for a top 4 potential guy. I have to think SY will go that route.

 

[HoseEmDown]

i talked to my scouts in the diff leagues as always so go look at 5-8 mocks and come up with my ten on most i got suz going tenth too much talent and small guys have been tearing it up plus hes a goal scorer to boot makes even more valuable imho

i dont like our choices at 14 to be blatently honest of what im seeing projected

foote is a reach but takes one gm to love the kid just hope aint ours lol trade back get him early second if thats the case imho

maybe can get necas or valimaki still i like them both but got a feeling we go for klim kostin

This is my mock

1. Hischier
2. Patrick
3. Heiskanen
4. Glass
5. Makar
6. Pettersson
7. Liljegren
8. Vilardi
9. Necas
10. Tippett
11. Mittelstadt
12. Suzuki
13. Valimaki
14. Veselainen
15. Rasmussen

 

[HoseEmDown]

This has befuddled me for two years now. There are 8 players that will have 20 goals that are on the roster now the secondary scoring could be better for sure but there is hope there. Of course the team should take the BPA but if there is another defensman in the range that would be ideal. From this draft spot especially in a mehhhhhh draft year you can expect it to take 4 years to get one ready. And this is the area that the team will need the depth yeah the Druion trade helped but there are 3 guys on the blueline that will be ending there usefullness within the 4 year development of there replacement. It was a nice thing to be able to move Druion for a top 4 potential guy. I have to think SY will go that route.

So we need to replace 3 defenseman I'm guessing Coburn, Stralman, Sustr maybe? Hedman, Dotchin, Koekkoek maybe stay? We have Sergachev, Hajek, Masin, Spencer, Cernak, Thomas and Blujus as options. So 7 guys to fill 3 spots if we don't trade or sign anybody else. All 7 won't pan out but 3 should at least, Sergachev for Stralman, Hajek for Coburn and Cernak for Sustr.

I like Valimaki but he's Hajek with more offense. I like Foote but he's Spencer with more offense. I just don't see the need being filled by either and there's some guys in the 2nd who could project to be 2nd pair like those two. At forward we don't have a gamebreaker like Suzuki, we have skilled players who score but not as impactful as Suzuki is when he's on the ice. We need more homerun type prospects and there's some forwards who are that while the defenders are safer picks.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

So we need to replace 3 defenseman I'm guessing Coburn, Stralman, Sustr maybe? Hedman, Dotchin, Koekkoek maybe stay? We have Sergachev, Hajek, Masin, Spencer, Cernak, Thomas and Blujus as options. So 7 guys to fill 3 spots if we don't trade or sign anybody else. All 7 won't pan out but 3 should at least, Sergachev for Stralman, Hajek for Coburn and Cernak for Sustr.

I like Valimaki but he's Hajek with more offense. I like Foote but he's Spencer with more offense. I just don't see the need being filled by either and there's some guys in the 2nd who could project to be 2nd pair like those two. At forward we don't have a gamebreaker like Suzuki, we have skilled players who score but not as impactful as Suzuki is when he's on the ice. We need more homerun type prospects and there's some forwards who are that while the defenders are safer picks.

we need to keep stralman and probably bring in two guys before this all pans out

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

This is my mock

1. Hischier
2. Patrick
3. Heiskanen
4. Glass
5. Makar
6. Pettersson
7. Liljegren
8. Vilardi
9. Necas
10. Tippett
11. Mittelstadt
12. Suzuki
13. Valimaki
14. Veselainen
15. Rasmussen

close to mine switch necas and suzuki and veslainen think goes 8th so i have it veslainen suzuki mittelstadt and then necas : middlestadt is about right hes interesting id like him too i wish had more game time etc..

if someone falls to say 18th would be valimaki to me so good stuff here

 

[Rschmitz]

This is my mock

1. Hischier
2. Patrick
3. Heiskanen
4. Glass
5. Makar
6. Pettersson
7. Liljegren
8. Vilardi
9. Necas
10. Tippett
11. Mittelstadt
12. Suzuki
13. Valimaki
14. Veselainen
15. Rasmussen

Highest I've seen Liljegren and lowest I've seen Mittelstadt from the most recent mocks.

 

[JoVel]

Moving up for a guy like Suzuki is what I think we should do. We have bunch of bottom 6 guys coming, we don't need more of those. Our prospect pool lacks top end talent. Sergachev now is one in defense but we don't have forwards who have that kind of potential. Suzuki would be nice because we wouldn't have to move up too much and we could probably make it work with using only draft picks.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Highest I've seen Liljegren and lowest I've seen Mittelstadt from the most recent mocks.

The reports on Liljegren are all over, I can see him going from 5 to 25. He played against men last year so he's a bit closer to pro ready than some, might be able to come over right away to play which might help the stock.

Mittelstadt I can see slip a little. His combine wasn't impressive could see it have a few teams questioning him. The talent is there but is the drive to get yourself fit, could be a Zidanejad situation, extremely talented but always kept his baby fat on him so not sure how dedicated he was off ice. I just see a few safer picks going ahead of him.

 

[Rschmitz]

The reports on Liljegren are all over, I can see him going from 5 to 25. He played against men last year so he's a bit closer to pro ready than some, might be able to come over right away to play which might help the stock.

Mittelstadt I can see slip a little. His combine wasn't impressive could see it have a few teams questioning him. The talent is there but is the drive to get yourself fit, could be a Zidanejad situation, extremely talented but always kept his baby fat on him so not sure how dedicated he was off ice. I just see a few safer picks going ahead of him.

Do you see us taking Liljegren if he's there? He looks very smooth and dynamic out there. Or if he had to choose would Yzerman go the safer route in Valimaki or Foote?

 

[HoseEmDown]

Do you see us taking Liljegren if he's there? He looks very smooth and dynamic out there. Or if he had to choose would Yzerman go the safer route in Valimaki or Foote?

Depends on the board but I think we're looking at a forward. If there's not a CHL one available we could look to defense but I'm not sure Liljegren is the one. Valimaki and Foote are both in the CHL so I would imagine they're higher up on the list than Liljegren. With our complete lack of drafting Swedes I find us picking Liljegren highly unlikely. I like Valimaki a lot more than Foote so hopefully him but would trade down and get Brannstrom or Foote later.

 

[Rschmitz]

Depends on the board but I think we're looking at a forward. If there's not a CHL one available we could look to defense but I'm not sure Liljegren is the one. Valimaki and Foote are both in the CHL so I would imagine they're higher up on the list than Liljegren. With our complete lack of drafting Swedes I find us picking Liljegren highly unlikely. I like Valimaki a lot more than Foote so hopefully him but would trade down and get Brannstrom or Foote later.

Yeah, most mocks have the good centers gone by the time we pick, with mostly guys left who are kinda iffy if they are sticking there. We don't really need more depth, but based on history, I could see Y trading back for an extra pick and taking a risk on Kostin even though he's Russian with an injury history. Like you said, depending on the board

 

[HoseEmDown]

Yeah, most mocks have the good centers gone by the time we pick, with mostly guys left who are kinda iffy if they are sticking there. We don't really need more depth, but based on history, I could see Y trading back for an extra pick and taking a risk on Kostin even though he's Russian with an injury history. Like you said, depending on the board

If Suzuki is gone and nobody dropped so the best available are say Valimaki, Andersson, Veselainin or Tolvanen I would trade with St. Louis for the 20th and 27th. Try to get Robert Thomas or Ryan Poehling at 20, then at 27 PO Joseph, Isaac Ratcliffe, Jason Robertson or Kailer Yamamoto.

Obviously St. Louis won't do the 14th for 20 and 27 but we can add the later 2nd and also get a 3rd next year or something.

 

[Rschmitz]

If Suzuki is gone and nobody dropped so the best available are say Valimaki, Andersson, Veselainin or Tolvanen I would trade with St. Louis for the 20th and 27th. Try to get Robert Thomas or Ryan Poehling at 20, then at 27 PO Joseph, Isaac Ratcliffe, Jason Robertson or Kailer Yamamoto.

Obviously St. Louis won't do the 14th for 20 and 27 but we can add the later 2nd and also get a 3rd next year or something.

Only problem is I think St. Louis would want a center too at #14, they'd need a winger they really like to drop.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Only problem is I think St. Louis would want a center too at #14, they'd need a winger they really like to drop.

Andersson is a center, some think he can be in the NHL while some think winger. So if St. Louis has interest in Andersson a trade could work.

What we need is Liljegren, Tolvanen and either Rasmussen or Veselainin to go before we pick. Will make Suzuki more likely to be available for us.

 

[Byrddog]

So we need to replace 3 defenseman I'm guessing Coburn, Stralman, Sustr maybe? Hedman, Dotchin, Koekkoek maybe stay? We have Sergachev, Hajek, Masin, Spencer, Cernak, Thomas and Blujus as options. So 7 guys to fill 3 spots if we don't trade or sign anybody else. All 7 won't pan out but 3 should at least, Sergachev for Stralman, Hajek for Coburn and Cernak for Sustr.

I like Valimaki but he's Hajek with more offense. I like Foote but he's Spencer with more offense. I just don't see the need being filled by either and there's some guys in the 2nd who could project to be 2nd pair like those two. At forward we don't have a gamebreaker like Suzuki, we have skilled players who score but not as impactful as Suzuki is when he's on the ice. We need more homerun type prospects and there's some forwards who are that while the defenders are safer picks.

I am not at all convinced that Dotchin, Koekkoek can play top 4 and I like Koekkoek alot. This is my long term look hopefully one of Dotchin, Koekkoek can play top 4 If Suster is still arround in 4 years I see him as 3rd pair hes a good guy to have arround defensively but hes not gonna score enough to play 20+ long term. While there is a list on the farm how many of them will be scoring defensmen in the NHL by this I mean guys that will have 40 to 50 po ints as top pair and 35 to 40 on the second pair. We have no idea the Bolts have always been able to draft and develop forwards but defensively they have not had as much success. Historically most dmen retire from 32 to 35 and are peak from 27 to 31. I like 1 defensive d guy in the top 4 and the 3rd pair to be stay at home guys. Thru nearly 45 years of watching and playing this game that seems to be the make up that works best.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

Andersson is a center, some think he can be in the NHL while some think winger. So if St. Louis has interest in Andersson a trade could work.

What we need is Liljegren, Tolvanen and either Rasmussen or Veselainin to go before we pick. Will make Suzuki more likely to be available for us.

after watching hours of tape I want eeli tolvanen plain and simple this kid would make us forget about losses put him in middle hes got an elite shot

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

I am not at all convinced that Dotchin, Koekkoek can play top 4 and I like Koekkoek alot. This is my long term look hopefully one of Dotchin, Koekkoek can play top 4 If Suster is still arround in 4 years I see him as 3rd pair hes a good guy to have arround defensively but hes not gonna score enough to play 20+ long term. While there is a list on the farm how many of them will be scoring defensmen in the NHL by this I mean guys that will have 40 to 50 po ints as top pair and 35 to 40 on the second pair. We have no idea the Bolts have always been able to draft and develop forwards but defensively they have not had as much success. Historically most dmen retire from 32 to 35 and are peak from 27 to 31. I like 1 defensive d guy in the top 4 and the 3rd pair to be stay at home guys. Thru nearly 45 years of watching and playing this game that seems to be the make up that works best.

sustr will not be here after the next full season bank it if we hire him again its to get something from moving him period

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hock...the-nhl-expansion-draft-and-offseason/2327649

Button, the director of scouting for Canada's TSN sports TV network, thinks two good options - and fits - for the Lightning with the No. 14 pick in Friday's amateur draft are defensemen Cal Foote (Kelowna, junior Western League), son of former NHL defenseman Adam Foote, and defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (Charlottetown, Quebec Major Junior League), younger brother of Tampa Bay forward prospect Mathieu Joseph.

Craig Button's rankings has Joseph and Foote as the 13th & 14th best players.

 

[MrClutch86]

I would like Valimaki, Kostin (who according to a russian source, is a lightning fan), maybe Foote or outside chance Hague.

 

[Jacko95]

Jackos Draft guide

I haven't had much time for hockey this season, but I am preparing my annual Draft guides the last few weeks and will now start off with the first round.

To get a few things straight: We have a deep pool, so I am mostly looking into high upside, high risk guys, meaning I rather have one superstar and 6/7/8 busts out of this draft than have 2 or 3 middle 6 guys.

Also since the draft ist considered so weak, going from 10 down, the prospects are all over the place, so it is very very hard to predict, where who ends which also makes the trade options more interesting IMO.

Starting off with Pick #14:

1. Nick Suzuki - C: He is heads above any other option for me at pick #14. I was a huge Brayden Point fan back in 2014, and he is this seasons version of Point. Small, defensivly good center with crazy skill and a non stop motor. He would obviously fit in perfectly with our philosophy.
Projection: From superstar to 3rd line center, everything ist possible.

If he is off the table, things get much more interesting for me, as most of the guys I'd like to go after will likely be available later as well. So a trade would be a perfect option, though only Arizona and Las Vegas will have interesting enough picks to offer for #14, which might make a trade difficult. Otherwise we might have to reach.

2. Klim Kostin - RW: Prototype Russian Power Forward, by some considered a top5 pick from a talent POV, couple this with his huge frame and you are in for a potential monster. Concerns are as always him being Russian and his health as he already had a season ending Shoulder injury this season. Has consistency issues.
Projection: Top line scoring winger with muscle. lots of muscles. Could potentially make a living out of a third line role due to his statue.

He could very well be available in the early 2nd round as well.

3. Erik Brannstrom - D: The smallish LD (5'10) has already a full SHL season under his belt and is known for ist agilitly, speed and high end offensive game, though compared to DeAngelo, he is no liability on the back end. To me he seems like a EK lite, which we could absoluty use in the system. He is used to pro hockey already, which could fast track his development.
Projection: Like going to be a offensive top4 D, if everything clicks together, the sky is the limit, all the tools for a superstar are there!

Could go anywhere from 10 to 40/50..

4. Nikita Popugaev - W: I have liked the 6'5 guy ever since seeing his first highlights, playing next to Point in 2015 in Moose Jaw. He is fast, skilled and due to his frame hard to play against, though not physical. He plays to:the crease on the PP very well using his size and has shown to be a great and successfull complimentary winger to Brayden Point before! SInce leaving Moose JAW for th Prince George Cougars, his offensive numbers took a dive.
Projection: Top line Winger with big boy qualitys, best mixed with a playmaking center.

5 Urhi Vaakanainen - D: Kind of the forgotten Euro-D among plenty more high profile prosepects available. Very complete game from the backend out. Smart intelligent, does not use the body all the time, rather trys to stop the forwards with an active stick. Though when needed, he will push his weight around. Overall he very much reminds me of Roman Josi, which would be an awesome addition to the prospect pool.

Other notables:
- F Kailer Yamamoto: Super high skill, very small. Heard that mix before?
- D Pierre-Olivier Joseph: Brother of MAthieu, not too much high end upside, but if his brother is any indicator, he could be on his way to a potential top 4 D spot.

Except for Suzuki the rest are picks from #20 and later, so a trade down scenario would be great for my plan. PLenty of good guys avilable! I really don't see much upside in most of the top15 picks except for them becoming quality top 4/ middle 6 guys in the NHL.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Why is Rasmussen so low? I thought I remembered seeing him in the top-10 in more than a couple projections on the Prospects board.

 

[MrClutch86]

I really don't want Suzuki.
We already have the stuff he brings. We have small, defensive centers as mentioned. We have guys like Stephens, Howden, everywhere. We don't need a slightly better version of them.
I'd be very disappointed with another "safe" center pick this year. That isn't how we are going to hold a core for the future. We need a defenseman to solidify our future core, a dynamic winger (to replace Drouin kinda) and size up front.